12 Actors Who Played A Real Life Person In a Movie And Nailed It

Angela Bassett as Tina TurnerAngela Bassett as Tina Turner

Multi-award winning recording artist Tina Turner is best known for her wild sense of style, her timeless physique, her rocky romance with Ike Turner, and her distinct contributions to rock music.

Angela Bassett has authentically portrayed a number of iconic figures on film, but her portrayal of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do With It? was one of her best performances and earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win for Best Actress.

 

 

Lynn Whitfield Josephine BakerLynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker 

Actress-dancer-singer Josephine Baker (1906-1975) was the first Black woman to star in a major motion film, Zouzou in 1934, and the first Black woman to garner international fame. She is also acknowledged for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1991, HBO showcased Baker’s life in the film, The Josephine Baker Story with Lynn Whitfield playing the lead actress. A longtime admirer of Baker, Whitfield studied old newsreels and a 1987 documentary, Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker, before shooting started.

For her stellar performance in the role, Whitfield won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special, and an NAACP Image Award.

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